The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

HAD it not been for two teams pulling out before the start of play, head coach Quentin ‘Three Ounce’ Hall feels the Bahamas’ boys national team would have performed much better at the FIBA Under-15 Centrobasket Championships in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

On the heels of losing their first three games, Team Bahamas turned things around, winning their finial two games to finish in fourth place in the standings of the round robin tournament that was reduced to just one pool instead of two.

Team Bahamas completed the round robin play on Wednesday with a 79-56 win over the Turks and Cacaos Islands to end up with a 2-3 win-loss record.

Desmond Hall, one of three players in double figures, pumped in a game high 25 points with four steals, three rebounds and two assists.

On Tuesday, Team Bahamas won its first game with a 94-57 rout over Costa Rica as Joshua Williams led two other players in double figures with a game high 18 points, six rebounds, two steals, an assist and a bocked shot.

The two wins came after Team Bahamas suffered their previous three losses. They opened the tournament with an embarrassing 107-52 loss to Puerto Rico, followed by a 99-49 defeat at the hands of Mexico and a 70-59 decision to the Dominican Republic.

Hall, the first vice president of the BBF with responsibilities for all national teams, said the boys’ team gave it their best under the circumstances.

“We had two teams that didn’t show up because of visa problems, so it caused the officials to change the schedule after they put everyone into one pool,” said Hall, who was assisted by coaches Kevin Clarke and Denykco Bowles.

Had they stuck with the two pools, the tournament would have allowed the top two teams to advance to the playoffs for the rights to qualify for the Tournament of Americas in 2023.

But with the absence of Panama and Guyana, Hall said it changed the whole outcome out the tournament and they were both in the same pool with the Bahamas.

“They had to put all of the teams in the same pool and we played each other once,” Hall said. “I just thought it was a little more difficult, but when you go to tournaments, you have to be ready. That’s the reality of it.

“We had to play Puerto Rico, the number one team in our region right out of the gate and then Mexico, the number two team and then the Dominican Republic, who is number three. We had our work cut out for us from the break.”

Puerto Rico, taking advantage of their home turf, went undefeated at 5-0 as they clinched the title over the Dominican Republic, who were 4-1.

Mexico had to settle for third place at 2-3. The Turks and Caicos were fifth at 1-4 and Costa Rica completed the field winless at 0-5.

Other members of Team Bahamas were Aiden Miller, Michael Munnings, Trevon Clarke, Condae Smith, Justin Hanna, Romial Strachan, Kenyon Williams, Christopher Brown and Bradleon McDonald.

The team manager was Delva Francis, the team doctor George Burrows, the director of basketball was Latoya Silver and the head of delegation was Stephen Brown.

Individually, Desmond Hall was Team Bahamas’ top scorer with a 25.1 average for ninth overall, with Joshua Williams ninth at 25.5. Noah Bain was tied with another for 13th at 23.1.

The junior girls’ team will play in their segment of the Centrobasket U15 Championships from June 26-30. The head coach is Varel Davis, assisted by Anton Francis and Shakira Farrington.

The team manager is Taronya Wildgoose, the athletic trainer is Sasha Johnson, the director of basketball operations and head of delegation is Latoya Silver.

“I know Varel and her staff have been preparing for it, so I know they will be ready,” said Hall of the girls’ team.

They also have to play five games in five days once the tournament gets underway this weekend.

Hall, however, said the federation has to find a better way to get its national teams to prepare to travel because unlike the other countries who can get into a bus and drive around to prepare their teams, the Bahamas has to go island-hopping to get the team together and it’s a costly venture.

Hall also feels that an argument could be made to FIBA for the tournaments for the juniors to be played in the summer as this trip affected some of the players who would have had to sit their final examinations in school around the same time.